With Elijah Mitchell out due to injury, Jeff Wilson had been carrying the load at running back for the 49ers.
But then San Francisco traded for Christian McCaffrey.
That changed the equation in the 49ers’ backfield and led to San Francisco dealing Wilson to the Dolphins.
“At some point, you can only keep so many, just from a roster approach,” General Manager John Lynch said on Tuesday, via Jennifer Lee Chan of NBCSportsBayArea.com. “Like we knew when we made the Christian move, someone was going to have to go, and, ultimately, Jeff’s the one.
“He was loving being an integral part of a football team. ... Once we did the Christian deal, and seeing Elijah close to returning, man, he wanted the opportunity to be able to do that. We assured him how much we valued him.”
Wilson has rushed for 468 yards with a pair of touchdowns so far in 2022, also grabbing 10 receptions for 91 yards. Now he’ll head to Miami to play for a familiar face in Mike McDaniel, who was a 49ers offensive assistant for all of Wilson’s career until this season.
“At first Jeff was excited,” Lynch said of Wilson’s reaction to the trade. “He felt like Miami was a great spot because he knows Mike and the crew. And then the emotions hit him, and I was able to share with him that, ‘Look, you’re not only one of my favorite players that I’ve ever had the opportunity to be around, you’re one of my favorite people.’ And I think Jeff feels the same way.”
McCaffrey has already proven to be a valuable piece of San Francisco’s offense, becoming the first player to record a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in the same game since 2005 in the 49ers Week Eight victory over the Rams.
Mitchell has been out since Week One with an MCL sprain but may be able to return as soon as next week when the 49ers take on the Chargers.